Ventilator construction



June 24, 1947.

w. RUTTER' VENTILATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed July 14, 1944 2 sheets sheet l WALTER QUTTER June 24, 1947. w RUTTER 2,422,855

YENTILATOR CONS TRUCTION Filed July 14 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WALTER BUTTER Patented June 24, 1947 VENTILATOR CONSTRUCTION Walter Rutter, Peninsula, Ohio, assignor to The Burt Manufacturing Company, Akron, Ohio, at

V corporation of Ohio Application July 14, 1944, Serial No. 544,864

Claims.

The present invention relates to ventilators of the general type shown and described in the patent to Whitaker No. 2,127,100 issued August 16, 1938, although the inventionis not limited to the particular details of ventilator structure shown and described in said patent.

In ventilators of the type referred to, it has been the usual practice to build the ventilators from a large number of disconnected and individual parts which connect the various elements of the ventilator. As these ventilators, particularly in the larger sizes, are ordinarily erected in their final location, the erection of the ventilator is attended with considerable expense as skilled workmen are required to assemble them and much time is consumed on the location.

In prior ventilators of this type the multiplicity of separate braces, connectors and the like are not conducive of strength and rigidity in the complete structure and these ventilators are often weak and ill adapted to withstand extremely high winds. While this has not been a. serious objection in smaller ventilators, as the size is increased Weaknesses have developed which make it undesirable to use these designs for large ventilators.

The present invention has two primary objects, one being to design a ventilator the construction of which reduces the work of assembling and. erecting the ventilator at the location to a minimum. As large ventilators are necessarily shipped in knocked down condition in order to ship them economically, it is a very substantial advantage to have the parts as few as possible, and the design and construction shown herein makes it possible to ship large ventilators in a minimum of space and yet reduce the work of erecting the ventilator. A second object of the invention is to construct a ventilator which is strong and able to withstand winds of very high velocity. This result is accomplished without increasing the total weight of the ventilator.

Briefly stated the objects of the invention are secured by providing a plurality of unitary trusses or rigid frame members which constitute the various uprights, braces and tie members to which the several sheet metal elements of the ventilator are attached. This supersedes the prior universal practice of utilizing a multiplicity of separate braces, tie plates, and the like which are separately attached to the sheet metal elements. None of the sheet metal parts of the present design function as structural elements, but are merel attached to the trusses or frame members. This not Only gives a much superior and more rigid ventilator, but the work of erecting the ventilator is greatly reduced because the erector first secures in place the complete set of truss members and then attaches the sheet metal elements to the truss members which completes the installation.

The description and drawing shown is the best known and preferred form of the invention as it is adapted for ventilators such as shown in the Whitaker patent referred to above. For other types and designs of ventilators, the structural .detail will be altered or modified, but such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention. In the preferred form each truss element is constructed from a plurality of angle iron members which are united in a single rigid, unitary truss frame. The use of angle iron for these elements is preferred as this cross-section gives great strength and rigidity for relatively small weight, but the invention is not restricted to the use of this structural cross-section for the truss elements. The invention is adaptable for either gravity ventilators or for ventilators of the fan or forced draft type. While the invention is shown as applied to a round ventilator, it may also be employed in a rectangular installation. Other changes and modifications will be suggested by those familiar with the art to which this invention pertains.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section through a ventilator of the improved design;

Fig. 2 is a plan view; and

Fig. 3 is a detail showing one of the unitary truss members as it is constructed in the shop ready for shipment to the location.

In the form of the invention shown, which is of the gravity or free-flow type a typical support for attachment to the building roof is shown at I, to the upper end of which is secured a base in the form of a ring-shaped angle iron 2 which carries the ventilator. Around the carrying ring or base are arranged the truss members referred to above, these members being indicated as a whole by the numeral 3. The num her and distribution of thes truss members is determined by the size of the ventilator. In the particular embodiment which is illustrated eight truss members are shown equally spaced about the supporting ring or base 2.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, each truss member consists of a main vertical strut 4, the upper or major portion 4a of which extends in an outwardly inclined direction to a point near the top of the ventilator. The lower portion 4b of the strut 4 is vertical and at its lower end seats on the ring 2 to which it is attached by bolts 5. At the point where the portion 4a joins the portion 4b the web of the strut 4 is cut out so as to permit the strut to be bent and at this point 40, the contacting edges of the web are welded. Within the vertical portions of the strut 4 is located the circular air shaft H which is secured at its lower edge to the ring 2. Additional securing means hold the part 4b to the air shaft.

Spaced from the strut member 4 is the second vertical strut member 6 to which the wind band 1 is attached. This member 6 extends the entire length of the wind band.

Extending from a point above the center of the member 6 to the end of the member 4 is the upwardly inclined angle iron brace member 8, which supports the upper louver or rain-battle 9, the brace being extended beyond the point of connection with the strut member 4 to form an adequate support for the baffle. The web of the part 8 is welded to the web of the parts 3 and 6 at 8a and 8?) respectively.

At a midway point, a second upwardly inclined brace member 10 spans the members 4 and 6, being welded web-to-web to these members at the points Illa and [b respectively. This member EB extends beyond the main truss member 4 and supports the cap member l2 of the ventilator. If an inverted so-called director-cone I3 is to be employed, this element is attached to and suspended from the cap l2 by means of a plurality of bent sheet metal plates or clips I5.

Extending from the lower end of the strut member 6 to or near the point at which the bend in the strut 4 occurs is a third brace 16, the web of which is inverted with respect to the webs of the braces 8 and I0, and is attached by welding at the points lfia and Hib to the member 4 and 6 respectively. To the underside of the members I6 is attached the lower louver or band 20 which intercepts currents of air entering the base of the ventilator.

The various elements or members 4, 6, 8, I0 and I6 of the truss-frames are assembled and permanently connected, preferably by welding, at-

the several points indicated, in the shop and the requisite number are shipped to the location as unitary or one-piece frame or truss members. It will be seen that the design makes a rigid truss of each of the elements 3 which, owing to the construction gives a rigid structural element perfectly adapted to form a framework or skeleton for the support of all of the sheet metal parts which constitute the ventilator. The strut elements may be made of relatively light stock and yet be absolutely rigid and capable of withstanding the most violent wind pressures.

When the parts are received at the point of erection, the support I is put in place and the base ring 2 with the air shaft I l is attached thereto. The workman then attaches the requisite number of elements 3 about the ring 2 and air shaft ll. He may then attach the cap and its director-cone to the extending ends of the arms l0, and the upper louver or bafiie to the upper side of the arms 8. He then puts the lower louver 29 in place and finally assembles the wind band I. The parts 1, 9 and 20 usually come in sections which overlap at the several supports. The attachment of the sheet metal parts is usually done by bolting the parts in place, the bolts being omitted from the drawing.

Thus a very much simplified erection operation is secured and the completed structure has all of .4 thedbeneficial properties which have been outline In the usual terminology the parts 3 are designated a K-frames due to their similarity to that letter, but this particular shape is dictated by the design and location of the sheet metal elements of the ventilator. The truss members may take on other configurations. So far as I am aware it is wholly new to construct a ventilator of this type in which the various braces, connecting members and sheet metal supporting members are connected together as a unitary truss, so that the strains exerted by the elements are transmitted directly to rigid truss members which are carried directly by the base of the ventilator.

What is claimed is:

1. In a circular ventilator construction, an annular base, an air shaft within the base and a plurality of rigid trus members radially arranged about the base, each truss member comprising a main strut, the lower portion of which is parallel to the air shaft and attached to the base, and the upper portion of which flares outwardly, and a secondary strut located outwardly of the main strut, a plurality of transverse braces attached to the struts and supporting the secondary strut from the main strut, one of said braces being attached at a midway point to the main strut to provide an overhanging portion extending inwardly of the ventilator, a cap attached to the several overhanging portions, and a wind band carried by the several secondary struts.

2. In a circular ventilator construction, an annular base, an air shaft within the base and a plurality of rigid truss members radially arranged about the base, each truss member comprising a main strut, the lower portion of which is parallel to the air shaft and attached to the base, and the upper portion of which flares outwardly, and a secondary strut located outwardly of the main strut, a plurality of transverse braces attached to the struts and supportin the secondary strut from the main strut, one of said braces being attached at a midway point to the main strut to provide an overhanging portion extending inwardly of the ventilator, a cap attached to the several overhanging portions, a wind band carried by the several secondary struts, and rain intercepting means attached to another set of braces.

3. A circular ventilator including a plurality of unitary rigid truss members, each member comprising an inner and outer strut, an annular base to which the lower ends of the inner struts are fastened in radial relation, the upper portions of the inner struts being inclined to the vertical and flaring outwardly, transverse braces extending across the struts, certain of said braces being extended within the area defined by the flaring portions of the inner struts and attached at midway points to the inner struts, an air shaft within the base, a cap supported over the air shaft by the extended ends of one set of braces, and a wind band attached to the outer set of struts and supported by the inner set of struts.

4. A ventilator having an air shaft, a plurality of one-piece, rigid truss members arranged about the air shaft, each truss member comprising an inner and an outer strut, and transverse brace members extending across the struts, certain of said brace members being attached at midway points thereon to the inner struts and extended within the area surrounded by the struts, a base about the air shaft to which the lower ends of the inner set of struts are attached,

5 a cap over the air shaft and supported by the inwardly extended ends of one set of braces, a wind band attached to the outer struts, and a baflie carried by the inwardly extended ends of the other set of braces and located below the upper 5 edge of the wind band and between the cap and the wind band.

5. A ventilator having an air shaft, a, plurality of one-piece, rigid truss members arranged about the air shaft, each truss member comprising an inner and an outer strut, and transverse brace members extending across the struts, certain of said brace members being attached at midway points thereon to the inner struts and extended within the area surrounded by the struts, a base about the air shaft to which the lower ends of the inner set of struts are attached, a cap over the air shaft and supported by the inwardly extended ends of one set of braces, a wind band attached to the outer struts, a baffle carried by the inwardly extended ends of the other set of braces and located below the upper edge of the Wind band and between the cap and the wind band, and a louvre supported by another set of braces 6 and located between the lower edge of the wind band and the air shaft.

WALTER RU'ITER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,100,785 McDerment Nov. 30, 1937 715,968 Britton Dec. 16, 1902 763,977 Henvis July 5, 1904 605,508 Pancoast June 14, 1898 1,785,540 Black Dec. 16, 1930 2,232,027 Gunter Feb. 18, 1941 681,977 Downan Sept. 3, 1901 2,127,100 Whitaker Aug. 16, 1938 905,255 Warden Dec. 1, 1908 2,367,454 Wiseman Jan. 16, 1945 2 ,406,168 Shumaker Aug. 20, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 427,904 Great Britain May 2, 1935 

